Automatic air-coupling.



A. E. QUYARS. AUTOMATIC AIR COUPLING.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1908.

Patented July 27, 1909.

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AUTOMATIC AIR COUPLING. APPLICATION IILBD AUG. 21, 1908.

929,51 1. Patented July 27, 1909.

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UNITED STATES rATENT oFFrcn.

ALEXANDER E. SQUYARS, OF LAURINBURG, NORTHOAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MALCOLM G. MCKAY, OF LAURINBURG, NORTH CAROLINA,

AUTOMATIC AIR-COUPLING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER E. S UY- ABS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Laurinburg, in the county of Scotland and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Air-Couplers, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to automatic air brake couplers for railway cars, the object of the invention being to provide a coupling which is adapted to automatically interlock with an opposing coupling, and which is provided with means for securing a close combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view showing two opposing couplers connected, and indicating in dotted lines the end portions of the cars carrying the couplings. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Flg. 3 1s a horizontal transverse sectlon through one of the coup- .lings. Fig. 4; is a front elevation of the same. shaft.

Referring to the drawings, the letters A and B designate opposing couplings mounted upon the adjacent end portions of the cars A and B. The couplings are arranged in the ordinary manner in rights and lofts upon the opposite ends of each car, but are otherwise alike in construction, so that a description of one will sufiice for both.

The coupling comprises a body or abutting head 1, provided at its inner or rear end with a shank 2 of angular form to slidably fit within a guide sleeve or casing 3 mounted Fig. 5 is a detail view of the crank 3 upon the under side of the car and secured Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 21, 1908.

Patented July 27, 1909.

Serial No. 449,636.

' thereto by cross bars or brackets 4 perforated for the passage of bolts or other fastening devices. The shank is provided at its rear end with a cylindrical stem 5 which is movable through an opening in a bridge plate 6 secured to the inner end of the cas-" ing 8, and has suitably attached thereto, as by a fastening screw 7, a stop plate 8 adapted to abut against the bridge plate and to limit the forward movement of the coupling and hold the shank from withdrawal. A coiled cushioning spring 9 surrounds the stem 5 between the inner end of the shank and the bridge; plate and permits the coupling to yield for coupling action, and also cushions the movement of the coupler to adapt it to efiectually withstand the strains to which it is subjected. The rearward movement. of the coupler is limited by a stop shoulder 10, at one side of the shank, which is adapted to abut against the front end of the casing.

Arranged at one side of the body 1 is a flaring keeper guide 11, which projects laterally therefrom and is preferably of hopper form and provided in its rear or reduced end with a guide opening, 12, and projecting forwardly from the other side of the body is a locking arm 13 provided on its upper side with a plurality of rack teeth 14. The keeper guide 11 is adapted to receive the corre sponding. locking arm upon the opposing coupling, while the locking arm upon the coupling in question is adapted to be received by the keeper guide on said opposing coupling, the arms extending through the guide openings in the keepers, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The body or abutting head 1 of the coupler is in the form of a flat angular plate formed at the front with bosses 15 upon its upper and lower faces to provide an abutting surface of proper area to bear against the corresponding surface of the opposing coupling. In the head is formed a longitudinal channel 16 formed at its inner end with a reduced portion or receiving pocket 17 and adjacent thereto with a shoulder 18,.

the outer or forward end of the channel communicating with a flaring chamber or recess 19 opening through the abutting surface of the body,.which latter is provided around the opening with an elastic sealing disk 20 to bear against a corresponding disk on the oooperating coupling to form close joint between the couplings.

A yielding tubular carrier r odor. bar. 21 is mounted forslidingmovement in the chan; nel 16 and projects at its forwardendwithin and beyond the recess 19. At itsirear end said bar is formed with a reduced portion 22, andbetweenthe shoulder formed by said re duced portion and the shoulder 18 is arranged a coiled cushioning spring23, surrounding said reduced portion and adapted to permit the bar tohave aninwardiyielding movement and to project the-same forward when pressure is removed therefrom. r coupling head2t. comprising an oblongrectangular. block, is pivoted at one end and in rear of itsouter-face. upoirthe, forwardend of the. carrier.- bar. andlisnormally arranged to.lie.at an.oblique..angle in the recess 19 and. to project; at its. pivoted end slightly therefrom. The outer face of thishead is providedatv its. freeendgwith a. shoulder 25. and has. a. facing 2.6 :of rubber-or other. suitable sealing. material to form. an airtight connection wit-hv the counterpart face ofa similar coupling head upon. an opposing coupler, connected. therewith.

Anair. conducting tube 27 ofyflexible material; extends laterally through oneside of the body into the pocket orrecess 17; and thence downwardly through the bottom. of the body and'is connectedat its. outer end with a hose or conductor 28 suit-ably. secured to the body. and provided with .the ordinary ty-peof. coupling device 29 for connection with the hose. pipe leading .frointheordinary trainpipe. The inner endofthe. tube 27 extends througlrthe tubular carrier 21 and into the pivoted coupling head 24:, which latteris provided with anopening. 30. extending through its face. and communicating with said tube. \Vhenthe two. cars A and B come. into coupling engagement, the abutting surfaces ofthe twocoupling devicesthereon contact andiefiect afiuid-tight connection through their sealing .facings and the '1OC1{ ingarm13 of each coupling passes through the flaring guide 11 on-the opposing coupling, as will be readily understood. hen the drafticouplings of the cars are. in engagement the automatic air couplers are held pressed'inward.to their full extent, or practically so,v against the resistance. of their cushioning. springs 9,. whiclr permit the shanks to recede into theguide casings. 3.. hen: the couplers abut, the meeting. faces of their coupling heads, which are-arranged in reversed; relation, contact and are. forced 'rearwardly-into the recesses 19, which movement is permitted :by. the .rearward move: ment ofthe carrier. bars against the resist: ance of thesprings22, and. stheshoulder 25. of eaclncoupl-ing .head engages the. pivoted end of the other couplinghead; thus .retaining them inengagementagainst lateral play.

or movement. It will be understood that the pivotal mounting of the coupling heads adaptsthem to accommodate themselves to each other. to lie in close abutting engagement, which action is promoted by the yielding movement of the carrier bars. The openings 30 in the coupling heads will then be in communication for the passage of air. from one coupler to the other. A spring 31 is arrangedwithiirthe channel 16 or recess 19 to allow the carrier bar and coupling head to have a limited lateral'movement and'to limit such movement.

The hoseor conductor 28 provided with a controlling valve 32 adapted to open or close communication between. the same and the tube 27, and to the outer end of the stem of thisvalve is connected the lower. end, of a crank arm 33 the upper end of whichpivotally engages alooped offset portion 3*, on one end of a rock. shaft 35 whiclnextends across. and is journaled in bearings. onthe top of the, front end ofthe shank 2. The looped end of this rock shaft is extended to form an upwardlyv andrearwardly inclined crank. arm 36 whichprojects upwardly into aguide slot. 37 inan armor projection 33 extending forwardly from the adjacent side; of the casing 3. This arm serves as an op erating or. controlling device for the crank shaft. hen the coupling is forcedforward to itsnormal position by the spring 9, the crank.36. contacts with'the front end \valLof the slot 37, byv whichthe shaft 35 is rocked in an upvardand rearward direction, and actuatesthe crankarm 33 to close the. valve 32. When the coupling is forced rearwardly.

against the resistance of the springv 9, the crank 3'6 engages the rear end wall- 0f the,

slot 37 and rocks the crank shaft forwardly.

and downwardly, thus actuating the crank 33 toopen the. valve 32. On the end ofthe shaft op aosite the crank arm 36 is formed lockingtongue or projection-39 having a downturned or hooked free endto engage.

thelockingteeth or notches 1% on the. locking arm 13 ofthe opposingcoupling- Thislocking. tongue is .thrown downward into engage mentwith the locking arm 13- when the couplings come togetherand the crank 33 is simul taneously actuated to open-the valves This operation takes place on both coupling;v devices to lock them together and to open the valves to connectithe two hose pipes 28 for the. fiowofair through the couplings, such position of the parts being maintained as long.

as the couplings are held in engagementwith; each ,other by the connection of the cars through their draft couplings. hen the draft couplings are. disengaged and the cars separate,- thesprings 9,0f 1thc couplers force them outward to, normal position, and. through the above described operation of the parts the locking members 39 will be retract ed, and the. .valves 32 closed. hen, the air:

couplings come together the opposing coupling heads 26, oy reason of their pivotal connection with the couplings on opposite sides of the central longitudinal line thereof assume a straight transverse or right angular position to the couplings and are thus maintained in close abutting contact for the passage of air without leakage.

From the foregoing description, the construction andmode of operation of my improved automatic air coupling will be readily understood, and it will be seen that it provides a simple and effective device of this character which is positive in action and adapted to interlock with an opposing coupling in a secure manner.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is 4 1. An automatic air brake coupling comprising a yieldingly mounted body provided with a keeper guide at one side and a locking arm at its opposite side, a coupling head yieldably mounted upon said body between said guide and arm, an air supply pipe leading thereto and provided with a controlling valve therein, a valve controlling device, a locking device to engage the arm of an opposing coupling, said devices being connected for movement in unison, and means controlled by the movements of the body for simultaneously operating said valve controlling and locking devices.

2. An automatic air brake coupling comprising a yieldingly mounted body provided with a keeper guide at one side and a locking arm at its opposite side, a coupler head yieldably mounted on the body between the guide and arm, an air conductor leading thereto and provided with a controlling valve, a rock shaft journaled onthe body and provided with a locking arm and operatively connected with the valve, and means actuated by the reverse movements of the body for rocking said shaft in reverse directions to project and retract the locking member and to open and close the valve.

3. An automatic air brake coupling comprising a yieldingly mounted body provided at one side with a keeper guide and at its opposite side with a toothed locking arm, a coupling head yieldingly mounted on the body between said keeper guide and locking arm, a valved conductor communicating therewith, a rock shaft journaled on the body and provided with a locking portion to engage the locking arm of an opposing coupling and provided with an actuating arm, a connection bet-ween said shaft and the valve in the conductor, and means acting on said actuating arm for rocking said shaft in reverse directions in the back and forth movements of the body to simultaneously project and retract the locking portion and to open and close the valve.

' 4:. An automatic air brake coupling comprising a yieldingly mounted body provided at one side with a keeper guide and at its opposite side with a locking arm, a coupling head yieldingly mounted on said body between said guide and locking arm, a valved conductor communicating therewith, a rock shaft journaled on the body and having a locking portion to engage the locking arm of an opposing coupling and an actuating arm, a connection between said shaft and the valve in the conductor for opening and closing said valve when said locking portion is projected and retracted, and a stationary actuating device engaged by the actuating arm of the shaft for rocking said shaft in reverse directions upon the reverse movements of the body.

5. An automatic air brake coupling comprising a yieldingly mounted body provided with a keeper guide at one side and a toothed locking arm at its opposite side, a coupler head yieldingly mounted on the body between said keeper guide and locking arm, a valve conductor communicating therewith, a crank shaft having an actuating crank arm and a locking arm, said locking arm being adapted to be engaged with the locking arm of an opposing coupling, a valve actuating crank connected with the valve of the conductor and pivotally connected with the shaft for actuation thereby, and a stationary slotted projection receiving said actuating arm and adapted to move the same in reverse directions upon the forward and backward movements of the body to simultaneously project the locking arm and open the valve and to simultaneously retract said arm and close said valve.

6. An automatic air brake coupling comprising a spring controlled yieldingly supported body, guiding and locking means upon the body to engage cooperating means upon an opposing coupling, a locking device upon the body to engage the locking means upon the opposing coupling, a yieldingly mounted tubular carrier upon the body, a coupling head pivotally connected therewith, a flexible conductor extending through the carrier and connected with the head, a valve controlling the flow of air therethrough, a valve operating device, and means for automatically and simultaneously actuating said locking and valve operating devices.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER E. SQUYARS.

Witnesses:

D. A. GILCHRIST, C. L. MCCOY. 

